Building construction.



J. K. BLACKSTONE.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

' APPLICATION FILED Aue.|s. 1914.

Patented June 6, 1916.

W/IK Inventor Witnes Attorneys JOHN KING BLACKSTONE, OF CROWN POINT, INDIANA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed August 15, 1914. Serial No. 856,966.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. BLACKSTONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crown Point, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Building Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a building construction and more particularly to means whereby a building wall can be cheaply constructed, one of its objects being to utilize straw, weeds, or other vegetation for the construction of large blocks designed to form the body of the wall, means being provided for holding each block under compression and for connecting to the blocks a finishing material.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall embodying the present improvements parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through a portion of the wall.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a foundation formed in any suitable manner and on this foundation can be placed the joists 2 of the lower floor of the structure, these joists being separated at their ends by a filling 2 of cement or other suitable plastic material. Pipes 3 or the like are adapted to be anchored at their lower ends within the foundation and to extend to the top of the wall, any desired number of these standards or vertical tie devices being provided and the same being connected by rods or pipes 4 extending longitudinally of the wall at the top thereof and by additional pipes or rods 5 extending longitudinally of the wall along the tops of the joists 2. The wall is made up primarily of superposed courses of blocks 6 and in practice these blocks are preferably made of straw, weeds, or any other suitable yegetation placed under compression and, If desired, provided with a suitable binder. The blocks are placed end to end in the same manner as are the blocks constituting courses of stone or brick, the blocks of the lower course being positioned upon the joists 2 and the connections 5 and these blocks being held in place by cement or other binding means interposed between the blocks and between said blocks and the foundation. Wires 7 are stretched along the upper face of the lower course of blocks and are secured at their ends to the upstanding rods or pipes 3, there being tie wires 8 connecting the wires 7 to the pipes 5 and located between the blocks 6 forming the lower course. These tie wires 8 are embedded within the cement or other material interposed between the blocks. The second course of blocks 6 is mounted upon the wires 7 which wires 7 are embedded within the cement or other binding material interposed between the two courses. Another set of wires 9 is stretched above the second course of blocks and these wires 9 are fastened at their ends to the pipes or rods 3 and are connected to the wires 7 by vertical tie wires 10. These tie wires are interposed between the blocks of the second course and are embedded within the cement or other binding material provided between said blocks. The third and succeeding courses are all arranged in the same manner, these courses extending up to the top of the wall and the uppermost course having the rods or pipes 4 bearing downwardly upon them and embedded in cement or other material on said upper course. The cement on the upper course has been indicated at 11.

WVhere an upper floor is to be erected on the wall, pipes are arranged on the course of blocks directly under the joists, these rods or pipes being disposed in the same manner as are the pipes 4 hereinbefore described and the joists resting on these pipes and having the space between them filled by means of cement as shown in Fig. 1, the joists being illustrated at 12.

In order that a suitable finishing material may be applied to the wall, wire loops 13 or any other suitable tie devices can be mounted on the tie wires 10 and the interposed wires 7 and 9, these loops extending outwardly from between the blocks 6. A wire fabric 14 may be attached to the loops and a covering 15 of cement, stucco, or any other desired material can be applied to this fabric. If preferred a tarred paper can be interposed between the blocks 6 and the finishing material or any other suitable means may be provided for preventing the admission of moisture to the blocks 6 from outside the wall. A suitable finishing material can also be applied to the inner faces of the blocks 6 as shown in Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings, the various pipes or rods 3, 4 and 5 can be made in sections which sections are assembled as necessary during the construction of thewall. Various kinds of wire can be employed. A barbed wire is preferable under some conditions.

What is claimed is 1-- In a building construction, a foundation, upstanding parallel frames each consisting of parallel vertical standards anchored in the foundation, an upper horizontal joist supporting rod connecting the standards, a lower rod connecting the standards and adjacent the foundation, superposed courses of blocks erected within the frames and embraced thereby, a plastic binding medium interposed between all of the blocks, longitudinal connecting rods between the standards of each frame and extending between the respective courses and embedded in the plastic binding medium between said courses, and vertical rods arranged in staggered relation within each frame and connected to the longitudinal connections, said vertical rods extending between the blocks of the respective courses and embedded in the plastic binding medium between said blocks, each of the blocks being extended transversely within both frames thereby to tie the frames together transversely.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN KING BLACKSTONE.

Witnesses EDWIN C. DAVIS, LOUIS T. ROBINSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

